Interchangeable brush



Feb. 2, 1965 R. R. MGKINLEY INTERCHANGEABLE BRUSH Filed May 3, 1965 INVENTOR RUTH R.M KINLEY u wwwri ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,167,799INTERCHANGEABLE BRUSH Ruth R. McKinley, PQO. Box 14, South Houston, Tex.Filed May 3, 1963, Ser. No. 277,857 a 1 Claim. (Cl. 15-176) Thisinvention relates to an improvement in brushes readily interchangeablewith a handle to provide, for example, bath brushes, hair brushes, toothbrushes, or the like.

It has heretofore been the custom of most good hotels, clubs, and otherplaces of temporary abode to provide guests with complimentary brushesof the type described. With the rapid expansion of the number of motorhotels, and the intensified competition to entice patronage, this typeof hostelry particularly is inclined to return to the old custom, and,for that reason, it is desirable from an economic standpoint to make thehandle and bristle carrying base separable so that the handle may beretained as the property of the proprietor and conveniently hung onasuitable support While the bristle carrying base is supplied to thepatron in a cellophane wrapped package. The cellophane can then beremoved and the bristle carrying base placed in the handle.

While it has been heretofore proposed to make the bristle carryingmember separable from the handle, nevertheless, prior devices do notlend themselves to convenient manufacturing procedures or simple andpractical forms of assembly and separation.

Accordingly, the present invention has for its principal object theprovision of an interchangeable brush and handle including astandardized handle and a detachable and disposable bristle carryingmember.

Another object of the invention is to make the handle with a recess onone face and having therein a plurality of laterally compressiblefastening elements of less length than the depth of the recess so thatthe edge portions of the brush carrying base will conveniently provide aleadin for guiding the fastening elements into frictional engagementwith the side walls of mating sockets.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple and practicalmeans for effecting separation of the handle and bristle carrying bodyreadily to effect interchangeability.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appearas the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consistsin the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts ashereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a brush including the presentimprovements.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the construction shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the parts shown in FIGS. 1 and2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken at the location of oneof the connectors for the bristle carrying base and the body of thebrush.

FIG. 5 is a detail perspective view illustrating the detachable bristlemember. 7

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several figures of the drawings.

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As will be seen from the drawings, the brush includes a body 1 and ahandle portion 2, the said body provided at one side with a recess 3. Atsuitable spaced points within the recess there is provided a pluralityof compressible studs 4 located within the included angles of the cornerportions of the substantially rectangular elongated recess 3. Thesestuds are shorter in height or length than the sides of the recess.

The purpose of the above arrangement is to enable the side edges of abristle carrying base 5 to be easily led into the recess 3, and todirect the holes 6 into registry with and into frictional engagementwith the sides of the studs 4, thereby to hold the bristle carrying basein the recess 3 in a manner to avoid lateral twisting and accidentaldisplacement in the direction outwardly of the recess. 7

Suitable means may be provided for effecting the removal of the base 5from the recess 3. For example, as shown more clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3,the back of the body 1 may be provided with an opening 7 through whicha' thumb or finger may be pushed to apply disengaging pressure on thebristle base 5 to move the same in the direction of the axis of thecompressible studs 4 to effect removal.

Referring to FIG. 5, it will be seen that an alternate form of bristlebase removing means is provided by having one of the side walls In ofthe body provided with a recess 8. In this case, the main body or backportion of the body of the brush Would not have the opening 7. Thisarrangement enables any suitable flat member to enter the recess behindthe bristle base, and, by exenting hand leverage on the member, thebristle carrying base can be removed.

From FIG. 4 it will be observed that the body 1 of the brush having sideand end Wall 1a provide a recess 3 which is of greater depth than thelength of the compressible studs 4.

The construction illustrated is adapted to the use of currentlyavailable materials in forming the body and handle of the brushassembly, while the bristle base 3 may also be made in a manner toreadily anchor the bristles 9. These bristles are arranged about theopenings 6 which receive the compressible studs 4, said studsfrictionally engaging the sides of said openings to hold the base andthe body of the brush together.

The particular shape of the studs 4 is immaterial, except that they mustbe compressible, as for example by cutting or otherwise forming one ormore slots therein, so that the relaxed external diameter will be largerthan the diameter of the openings 6 to provide an adequate frictionalgrip between the base 5 and the body 1.

I claim:

A detachable hair brush and handle assembly comprising, in combination,I

a body and a manipulating handle extending from one end thereof, saidbody having an elongated recess opening at one face thereof andincluding side, end, and bottom walls disposed in rectangular relationto each other to provide included angles,

a plurality of compressible pin type fastener elements on andperpendicular to the bottom wall of the recess, each of said elementsdisposed adjacent the corners and within said included angles, saidelements being of less length than the depth of the recess,

a substantially rectangular "bristle base whose sides- 7 ReferencesCited by. the Examiner and ends'are angularly disposed to alsotdefineinclud- UNITED STATES S-z ed angles to snugly and fiushly mate with andfit into 1 the said included angles of said recess, saidbase hav'17351802 11/29 Statute -l 15 176 ing fastener keeper openings alsolocated in the cor- 5 11908510 *5/33 15-176 7 ners defined by saidincluded angles of the sides and 2402577 6/46 Rodgers I ,15 210 endsthereof and adapted tobe frictionally engaged 216181003 11/52 'Robey r 1by all ofsaid fastener elements, whereby both; angu- 2777,14; -s et a115176 X -lar and perpendicular movement between said base 30087176511/61 h 'i 157176 and o y i st d, 10 FOREIGN PATENTS and an opening inthe body of the, handle exposing a 980 839 1/51 France a 1 portion ofthe base to permit the insertion of means 1829 6/84 Great 'Britain forexerting a force applied only substantially par 1692369 3/20 GreatBritain;

allel to the axes'of said fastener elements to assist in elfectingtheseparation of said base from the body. 15 CHARLES JVIELMUTH,Primary-Examiner.

